Emergency mechanism for unlocking cold storage door and the like



May 20, 1958 H. B. CLARK EMERGENCY MECHANISM FOR UNLOCKING COLD STORAGE DooR AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1956 a IH May 20, 1958 H. B. CLARK EMERGENCY MECHANISM FOR UNLOCKING COLD STORAGE DOOR AND THE LIKE K 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 16, 1956 M ATTORNEY United States Patent EMERGENCY MECHNISM FOR UNLOCKING COLD STORAGE DOOR AND THE LIKE Henry B. Clark, Elizabeth, N. J.

Application May 16, 1956, Serial No. 585,337

6 Claims. (Cl. 268-30) This invention relates generally to sliding doors adapted for cold storage, refrigerator and cooler rooms or compartments and more particularly to mechanism for unlocking such a door from the inside in an emergency.

A prime object of the. invention is to provide a novel and improved lock construction for locking the sliding door sections of a door of a cold storage room, compartment or refrigerator against unauthorized opening, characterized by mechanism operable from inside theroom orthe like for rendering the lock ineffective and to permit opening of the door sections from the inside in an emergency, a motor actuated cold storage door wherein movement of at least one part of the locking construc-l tion to locking position automatically cuts the motor out of circuit and movement of said part away from locking position automatically closes the circuit through the motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hasp type lock construction for a cold storage room door wherein by turning a handle inside the room the lock 'construction is rendered ineffective permitting the door to 'be opened manually from the inside.

It is further proposed to provide emergency mechanism of this character which is simple and rugged in construction, highly eicient in operation, economical to manufacture and which can be sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which the various novel featuresof the invention are more particularly set forth.

ln the accompanying drawings forming n material part of this disclosure:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View of a sectional doorwith locking means embodying the present invention applied thereto, thedoor sections being shown in locked condition.

' Figure 1A is a schematic view of the circuitincluding the motor control mechanism and the lock-operated switch. v

Figure 2 isa fragmentary front elevational View thereof, Von an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3*-3 of Figure 2.

I Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the door sections in unlocked condition.

`Figure 6 isv a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the door sections in unlocked condition.

Figure 7 is a sectional ViewV taken on the plane of the line 7--7 of Figure 4, on an enlarged scale.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken on the plane of the line 8 3 of Figure l, on an enlarged'scale.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a sectional door is shown mounted on the outer surface of a sideor'wall ,A of a cold storage room, refrigerator or compartment ICC that may be of any suitable construction and insulated in any desired manner and that has a door opening B. On the outer surface of the wall A is a door frame that includes a head piece 1. The lower edge of the head piece 1 is to be positioned approximately coincident with the top of the door opening B and inclines upwardly from the Vertical median plane of the door opening toward opposite ends of the head piece as indicated at 2.

The door comprises two door sections C and D provided for normally closing the door opening B, each door `section being suitably constructed and insulated .and

being shown as including side pieces or stiles 3, a top piece or rail 4, a similar bottom piece or rail (not shown) and front and rear panels 5 and 6,v respectively, providing a'space inside the door section that is lled with Suitable insulating material 7. The door sections are mounted to roll or slide edgewise toward each other and simultaneously laterally or in a direction perpendicular to th'e general plane of the door frame with the adjacent edges of the two doorsections meeting in approximately the vertical median plane of the door opening to close the door, and the door sections are rollably or slidably mounted to move away from each other edgewise and simultaneously outwardly or away from the general plane of the door opening or door frame to open the door. The mounting means also provides for vertical movement of the door sections downwardly as they approach each other. As shown, this mounting means includes a split tubular track E secured by suitable brackets 8 on the head piece 1 of the door frame. The trackv has two sections 9 and 10, each of which inclines upwardly and outwardly from the general plane of the margins of the door opening from approximately the vertical median plane of the door opening to its outer end. Each door section is suspended by two hangers 11, each of which includes a shank 12 secured to the upper rail 4 of the door section and has rollers 13 connected to its upper end and rollable` along the corresponding track section 9 or 10.

The leading or meeting edges of the door sections have sealing means that extend throughout the heights of the door sections and cooperate when the door sectionsV are closed to seal the joint between the door sections. The sealing means at the leading edges of the door sections comprises an elongated hollow resilient sealing element 14 on each door section cooperative with a rigid, preferably metallic, elongate hollow metal sealing element 15 on the other door section. Preferably the sealing element 14 is formed of rubber or rubberized or plasticized fabric which is resistant to high and low* temperatures and is moisture proof. When the door sections are in closed position as shown in Figure l, each sealing element 14 abuts the corresponding element 15. Other sealing elements 14a on the outer edges of the doors cooperate with jambs 14b.

Sealing strips 16 and 17 are provided for the tops and bottoms of the-door sections, respectively. The top sealing strips 16 cooperate when the door sections are closed with an elongated vhollow flexible sealing element 18 secured to each of the door sections below the top edges thereof.

In order to hold the lower ends of the door sections against movement outwardly from the door frame and to guide the door sections in movement parallel to the plane of the door frame, the outer side of each door, adjacent the lower edge thereof, is provided with -a bearing strip `19 which is engaged by a roller 20 journalled in a bracket 21V secured to the floor 22, the bearing strips compensating for the movement of the door sections inward and away from the plane of the door frame.

All of the foregoing described structure is more fully described and shown in my copending application Serial No. 545,289, tiled November 7, 1955.

Any suitable mechanism may be provided for actuating the door sections but for the purpose of illustration I have shown mechanism like that disclosed in my Patent 2,412,871. This mechanism includes a guide track 24 comprising a horizontal split tube of rectangular cross-section slotted in its bottom wall. Slidable within the guide track and movable toward and from each other are two guide blocks 25 similar to those shown in my said patent. Each block has connected thereto a stud 26 which extends through the slot in the track and loosely into a socket 27 that is slidably mounted in a bracket housing 28 secured to one of the door sections and is normally influenced upwardly around the end of the corresponding stud 26 by a compression spring 29 that is interposed between the socket member and the bracket. A pull rod 30 is connected to the lower end of the socket member 27 and passes through an opening in the bottom of the bracket 28, and the spring preferably surrounds this pull rod between the socket and the bracket as best shown in Figure 8. Upward movement of the socket under the influence of the spring is limited by the engagement of a nut 31 on the rod with the bottom wall of the socket. The blocks 25 are moved by mechanism including a belt 32 and a pulley 33 connected to an electric motor 34. A flexible connector such as a cord or chain 35 has one end connected to the pull rod and its other end extending through an opening 36 in the door section and provided with a suitable handle (not shown) on the inside of the door so that a person locked inside the cold storage room or compartment by simply pulling upon the handle could disengage the socket member 27 from the stud 26 and thus release or disconnect the door sections from the operating mechanism. The mechanism for simultaneously moving the guide blocks 25 toward and away from each other is disclosed in my Patent 2,412,871.

Since it is necessary to both open andclose the door sections, the motor 34 is reversible and its operation to open and close the door sections is controlled by a single simple switch 34a (Fig. 1A) that may be manually operated or might be automatically operated, such as a pneumatic switch in the floor to be operated upon passage thereon of a truck.

In the operation of the apparatus, assuming the door sections to be closed as shown in Figures l and 2, the manually operable switch will be open. To open the door sections, the operator closes the switch to operate the motor in one direction and drive the guide blocks 25 away from each other and open the door sections. Suitable automatic control means generally designated E in Fig. 1A such as that described in my said Patent 2,412,871 comprising a magnetic controller, a gear limit switch and selector switches will be included to stop the motor when the doors reach fully open position and to start the motor in the opposite direction to close the doors when the manually operated switch is closed the next time.

All of the foregoing door actuating mechanism and the operation thereof are more fully described and shown in my Patent 2,412,871.

In accordance with the present invention, locking apparatus for locking the doorsections from the outside to prevent unauthorized opening of the door sections is provided, which apparatus is characterized by mechanism operable from inside the room or compartment for opening the lock by a person accidentally locked in the room or compartment. Referring particularly to Figure 2, the locking apparatus is of the hasp type and comprises an angular plate 40 adjustably secured to one of the door sections, for instance, door section C, adjacent its inner edge portion, the plate serving as a bracket. The plate is adjustably secured to the door section by headed bolts 41 secured in the door section and passing through elongated slots 4Z into the plate. The plate has a central opening 43 to receive a rotatable and slidable solid vertically disposed sectional post indicated generally at 44 and comprising a lower rod section 45 formed with a threaded socket portion 46 at at its upper end to receive the threaded reduced bottom end 47 of another vertically disposed intermediate rod section 4S. A pair of superposed jamb nuts 49 holds the threaded end in adjusted position. The upper end of the rod section 48 is guided through a strap bracket 50 on the door and extends slidably and rotatably into thc socketed bottom end 51 of an upper rod section 52 which extends through and is guided by an upper bracket 53 fastened to the door section C at its top end. A coil spring 54 is interposed between the top of the intermediate rod section 48 and the base of the socket 51 in the upper rod section 52. A sleeve 55 is rigidly connected to the top end of the upper rod section 52 above thel bracket 53. A linger 56 extends radially from the upper end of sleeve 55 and is disposed in alignment with the actuating stud 57 of a movable'spring closed switch contact 58a mounted on the overhead tubular track 24 and connected in the circuit with the motor and the automatic control means so as to cut off the supply of electricity from the motor when the switch is open. A short bar 59 welded to the rear of the sleeve 55 and extending beyond both sides thereof and slidably engaging the bracket prevents the sleeve from turning, thereby holding the nger 56 in register with the movable contact 57 of the switch 58 when the door C is closed.

A hasp in the form of an elongated flat leaf or strap 60 has one end secured to the bottom rod section 45 of the post 44 by welding or the like. A transverse slot 61 is formed in the other free end of the hasp. The hasp of course is secured near the inner edge portion of the door section C and is adapted to be swung so as to overlap or overlie the adjacent portion of the door section D in the usual manner.

In carrying out the invention, a staple element indicated generally at 62 is detachably mounted on the door section D and includes a metal keeper block 63 and a flat tongue member 64 projecting centrally from one end of the block. The block at its opposite end is formed with an internally threaded socket 65, and the tongue member is formed with a central opening 66. The mounting for the staple element includes a wood cylinder 67 extending loosely through a transverse opening 68 formed in the door section D and aligned openings 69 and 70 in the outer and inner plates 5 and 6, respectively, of the door section. The opening 68 in the door section is formed with a counterbore 71 at its outer end. A metal furrule '7,2 is secured on the outer end of the cylinder 67 by a fastening element 73 and is formed with an externally threaded extension 74 threaded into the socket 65 of the keeper block 63. A metal ferrule 75 is also mounted on the inner end of the cylinder 67 and secured by a fastening element 76, the inner end of the ferrule constituting a shoulder seating against the inner plate 6 of the door section. A handle 78 is secured to theferrule 75 by welding or in any other suitable manner. The handle is elongated and formed with anges 79 at its ends to facilitate turning thereof by the hands even if numb with cold. The cylinder 67 and ferrules 72 and 75 are so dimensioned that the inner end of the threaded section 74 of the ferrule 72 is ush with the outer surface of the outer plate 5 of the door section D so that when the cylinder 67 is turned clockwise as viewed in Figure 5 the staple element is drawn into tight engagement with the outer plate 5 on the door section whereby the staple element is secured in position on the door section D, as shown by solid linesin Fig. 7.

When the staple element is thus secured to the door section, the tongue member 64 thereof is disposed in a vertical plane and held againstroftation by a guide plate 82 secured to the door D, whereby when the leaf or strap 60 constituting the hasp is swung so as to overlap the door section D, the tongue member projects through the slot 61 of the hasp in the usual manner, with its opening 66 disposed outwardly of the hasp so as to receive the loop 80 of a padlock 81. Since the handle 78 is` on the inside of the door section, it is evident that an unauthorized person cannot gain access thereto to remove the staple element from the door section.

.p In operation, assuming that the door sections have been closed by operation of the motor 34, the hasp 60 is swung over the door section D and over the tongue member 64 of the staple element and against the keeper block 63. During this swinging movement, the bottom edge 83 of the hasp rides upwardly along the slanting surface of a camming plate 84 fixed ,on the bracket 40, forcing the supporting post 44 upwardly and thereby pressing the finger 56 on the sleeve 55 on the top of the post 44 against the stud 57 of the movable contact 58a of switch 58 thereby cutting out the motor 34. The spring 54 will yield to prevent excessive pressure on the switch contact. The shackle 8) of padlock 81 is then inserted through the opening 66 in the tongue member 64 of the staple element and swung to locked position thereby locking the door sections against unauthorized opening. With the parts in this locked condition, with the motor cut out there is no possibility of the door `actuating mechanism being accidentally operated. Of course, a person on the outside of the door having a key can unlock the padlock and open the door and swing the hasp into the position shown in Fig. 5 to permit release of the switch contact into closed position.

By reason of the present lock construction, a person accidentally locked inside the room or compartment can open the door sections and free himself. This is accomplished by grasping the handle 78 on the cylinder 67 and turning it in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 5. This unscrews the ferrule 72 of the cylinder 67 from the socket portion 65 of the keeper block, and the ferrule may be pulled into the counterbore 71. When the threaded end of the cylinder is free of the block, the block is released and the hasp with the block and the padlock attached thereto may swing away from the door D. Gravitational action on the post will cause the hasp to slide down along the inclined surface of the camming plate 84 and outwardly away from the door sections.; as shown in Figure 6. When the hasp is clear of the camming plate, the finger 56 is moved away from the acutating stud 57 of the switch 58, thereby restoring the circuit through the motor 34. Inasmuch as the padlock 81 is still in position on the staple element, the staple element is fast to the hasp and is carried along with it. The locked-in person may then readily open the door sections by grasping the handle attached to the cords 35 and by simply pulling upon the handle can disengage the socket members 27 from the studs 26 and thus release or disconnect the door sections from the operating mechanism which is actuated by the motor 34. The door sections can then be manually separated and opened, the sections readily rolling along the track E.

When not in use, the hasp 60 with the staple element attached thereto may be swung to a position alongside the door section C as shown in Figure 5, the leaf or strap 60 constituting the hasp during this movement riding up over a slanting stop member 86 on the left hand end of the bracket 40 as viewed in Figure 5 and dropping off of said stop member to the rear thereof onto the horizontal flange of the bracket 40 where it is held in place by the stop member. When it is desired to use the hasp again, it can readily be lifted over the stop member.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the lock may be used with a single door, one of the hasp and the staple element being mounted on the door and the other being mounted on adjacent structure, such as the jamb of 4a door frame at one side of the opening that is closed by the door. Moreover, the member 67, 72, 78 could be connected to the bracket 40 of the hinge mounting for the hasp plate instead of to the keeper block should operation of the switch 58 by swinging of the hasp plate not be desired. Also the lock may be utilized on either swinging doors or sliding doors.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that changes in details of construction may be made within the principles and scope of the invention.

What I claims:

l. The combination with a door, of a lock construction for securing the door to structure adjacent the door, comprising a plate and a hinged connection thereof to one side of one of said door and said structure, a keeper element and a connection thereof to one side of the other of said door and said structure, said plate and said keeper element having portions to interlock when the plate is swung over the keeper element, said connection vof the keeper element including a member movably mounted in and extending through the respective door or structure yand having a quick-detachable fastening to the keeper element which is releasable upon movement of said member in one direction, said member having handle means for moving it located` on the side of the corresponding structure o r door opposite the side thereof on which said keeper element is located, means including an electric motor for openingand closing said door, a circuit including said motor and a switch for said motor having an actuating stud, and means actuated by and upon said movement of said plate into and out of interlocking relation to said keeper element to move said stud and actuate said swtich to open and close said switch, respectively.

2. The combination as dened in claim 1 wherein the last-named mean's `includes a mounting of said plate for movement in opposite directions parallel to the axis of said hinged connection, means for causing movement of said plate in said opposite directions upon swinging movement of the plate about said hinged connection into and out of interlocking relation to said keeper element, respec tively. v

3. The combination of a doorand means for opening and closing it including an electric motor and a circuit including said motor and a switch for said motor having an actuating stud, a lock construction for securing the door to a structure adjacent the door, comprising a plate and a hinged connection thereof to one side of one of said door and said structure, a keeper element and a connection thereof to one side of the other of said door and said structure, said plate and said keeper element having portions to interlock when the plate is swung over the keeper element, and means actuated by and upon movement of said plate into and out of interlocking relation to said keeper element to engage said stud and control actuation of said switch to close and open the switch, re-

spectively.

4. Thefcombination with a door, of a lock construction for securing the door to structure adjacent the door, comprising a plate and a hinged connection thereof to one side of one of said door and said structure, a keeper element and a connection thereof to one side of the other of said door and said structure, said plate and said keeper element having portions to interlock when the plate is swung over the keeper element, said connection of the keeper element including a member movably mounted in and extending through the respective door or structure` means actuated by and upon said movement o f said plate into and out of interlocking relation to said keeper element to move said stud and actuate said switch to `open and close said switch, respectively, wherein said hinged connection for the plate includes a post from which said plate laterally projects and means rotatably and longitudinally movably mounting said post including a bracket on the corresponding'structure or door and having an inclined surface thereon on which said plate slidably rests so that said post is moved longitudinallyby the combined swinging of said plate and sliding of the plate on said inclined surface, said post having means to engage said actuating stud of the switch.

5. A lock construction for a pairof sliding door sections comprising a hasp hingedly mounted' on one of said door sections at the edge portion thereof, said hasp having a transverse slot at its free end, a staple element mounted on the other door section, said staple element comprising a keeper block and a perforated tongue member projecting therefrom, said tongue member being arranged to project through the slot -in the hasp when the latter is swung thereover, means for detachably fastening said staple element to said other door section, said hasp and said staple element being so arranged relative to each other that the hasp will overlie the tongue member, and fastening means operative when the tongue member of the staple element is projecting through the slot in the hasp for preventing unauthorized opening of thel door sections, said means for detachably fastening the staple element having means on the inside of its respective door section for releasing the interlock between the hasp and the door section mounting the staple element whereby the door sections may be manually slid apart to open condition from inside the door, the hinge mount for said hasp including spaced brackets on the'door section mounting said hasp, an upstanding post pivotally supported by said brackets and means connecting said hasp to said post, the post being also slidably mounted and carrying a finger at its top end for controlling an electrical switch.

6. The combination of a door and means for opening and closing it including an electric motor and a circuit including said motor and a switch for said motor having an actuating stud, a lock construction for securing the door toa structure adjacent the door comprising a keeper element mounted on one side of said door and said structure, a plate mounted on the other of said door and said structure for movement into and out of engagement with said keeper clement, said plate and said keeper element having portions to interlock when the plate is moved into engagement with the keeper element, and means actuated by and upon movement of said plate into and out of interlocking relation to said keeper element to engage said stud and control actuation of said switch to close and open the switch, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,746,782 Schamotta May 22, 1956 

